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There's the photography, flowers, the venue and let's not forget the dress! It's a big booming industry that rakes in billions just at bridal shows alone, but the big, expensive day can quickly turn disastrous if research is not part of the planning.

"A lot of the vendors have non-refundable deposits," says Liz Fredrichs of the Better Business Bureau.

It's an all too familiar complaint heard by the Better Business Bureau, for brides, thousands of dollars later, they didn't get exactly what they wanted.

“The first thing I saw when I walked into the venue was that my center pieces weren't right," says Erin Forgy, who was married in July.

Not what Erin Forgy requested, wanted, or thought she was paying for. And on the big day, there wasn't much she could do..

"Again you only have that one day to get it right," says Liz Fredrichs

So avoid disappointment by reading contracts carefully and checking a vendor's reputation with the BBB.

Beware of one-day specials, discounts and extra fees.

"Get everything in writing,” says Fredrics, “really keep good records of who they're speaking to and what they are promised."

Another tip: Ask vendors for references. It's just like a job interview only you are doing the hiring.

Also, understand the power of a bad review.

"I mean I could post it on facebook how bad they were and it would probably lose them business," says Erin Forgy.

Despite the wrong flower arrangements Erin looks back on her wedding day and smiles but she also got a full refund.

“The only reason that they did that was because the BBB got involved,” says Erin.

Because Erin’s issue was resolved it kept the florist from getting a bad rating. You too can check out how reliable a vendor is by going to the BBB’S website and checking out their score. To do that, follow this link:

http://centralflorida.bbb.org/

EMILY DISHNOW
EDISHNOW@FOX4NOW.COM

FOX 4, IN YOUR CORNER